Friction clutch



Nov. 17, 1925. v 1,562,144

, J. L. BURNS- FRICTION CLUTCH Fired July 17. 192s s sheetsfsheet 1 N0v.17,19z5. n 1,562,144 ,J. L. BURNS FRICVTION CLUTCH Filed July 17, 1923 e sheets-sheet 2v Nov. 17,1925.

y J. L..V BURNS FRIc'rIoN CLUTCH FileqJuly 17. 192s f s sheets-snm '4 Nov. 17, 192s. 1,562,144

J. VL..y BURNS FRICTION CLUTCH Filed July 17. 1923 B'Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.v l

f Qi/QQ Patented Nov.v 17, 1925.

UNITED siii'riss-v 1,562,144 OFFICE.

JOHN L. BURNS, OF SYBACUSE, NEW YOl-RK.

PATENT salamoia CLUTCH.

T all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN4 L. BUnNs,ia

' citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Friction Clutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates lto clutches as friction clutches, such as are used in motor vehicles and has for its object a clutch conf. struction by which the .torque or drivin force is more or less yieldiiigly transmitted;v and bywhich engine vibrations and44 noises are absorbed instead ofbeing transmitted through the clutch to the body of the vehicle and other parts. v

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter setf'forth and claimed.v

'In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional v1e w,'

partly in elevation of, a' clutch embodying my invention.

Y Figure 2 is an elevation of the` driven member of the clutch, lthe friction rings on 2 of another form o-fthis clutch construction;

'Figures 8 and 9 are views Similar to Fig'- ures 1 and 2 ci the third form andFigures 10 and l1 are views similar Vto Figures l and 2 of the fourth embodiment of my invention.

This clutch comprises generally driving and driven elements, one lof which,usu`ally Y the driven element, is shiftable axially out of enga ement with the driving elementgand one of t ose elements, preferably the driven element, comprising drivin an? driven parts' and a more or less flexible o slightly flexible member connected to said partsv for transmitting-the motion from one to the other, this member being a sound and vibration absorbing material and usually being l of a cotton rulbber fabric or any other suitable material which has strength enough to transmit the driving force.

.wheel` of -the engine,

Y driving 1923.v seriai'irn. 652,167.1

in uie- @iutcii here illustrated,- che-driving element'is a-part of ror attached to the flywheel of the internal combustion engine, and the driven element is arranged substantially coaxially with'the "driving element and includes an axially v'shiftable disk vand a 'spring forlshifting the disk'into engagei vmeiitwith the'Y driving element and operat-v ingv mechanism' for shifting the disk out of engagement .*with the driving element against thelv forceof the spring.

designates the-driving element vor fly-A havingl a cylindrical:':cavity formed' by providing a drmr'i 2 on'gthe Vrear ffac'eof the drivin element or flywheel. 3 is the driven shaft this shaftbeing arranged coaxially with the pilot bearingj-atlf- -inffthel driving element. 5 is a plate'or `disk having a hub 6 slidable axially Von tle""'shafftf3toA carry theA plate or VAdisk into andout ofir'frictional engagement with the driving elementi. `7 is-apowerful pring interposed 'betwee'nthe cover plate 8v or the drum 12l and'fasliding collar 9'rotata'bly and'v `slidablymounted on the shaft 3. 9'L is one o a pluralityof levers intel:-

posedrbetweefthe co1lar`9'and a compression ring 1fO-3.for'transmittin thev motion of the collar'9 tothe compression ring which coacts with the plate 5- to, com ressrit against the kdriving element Lf jThe ever 9xis ivot'edat 1'1 vtofjaringl 1 2 suitablyattacheg to the'.` drum'Zto' rotate 'therewith andat 13 to va shoe or wedge 14 coacting with an inclined face on the compreion ring 10. The compression ringplOfis suitably connected or 'keyed as -atl 1.0. thel drumWQ to rotate therewith." Y

Irwin befuiiderjsfod by' those' Skilled in the art that there are a plurality of levers 9 spaced equidistant apart around the collar;

9; The collar 9 is'shiftable in'one directioii this driving element element-:Tand v.the Vshaft .having av orniingpart of the driven' element, v

by the spring 7 and in the other direction i by a shifting lever or pedal unnecessary to describe. The clutch', as thus far described, forms no part of'this invention.

The plate fof the driven element comprises driving fand drivenparts and asound and vibration absorbingilexible member between said parts yfortransmitting themotion from one partI tothe other.

More specifically, the'plate comprises in ner and outerV parts orv sectionsv concentri-V cally mounted relatively totheshaft 3 and spaced apart in radial directions from each other and a ring of fibrous material connected to both of said sections aty spaced- ,the clutch f circle.'-

is transmitted 17 designates the outer section and18; section vbeing' the inner section, the outer annular and the inner section preferably angulark as triangular. `19 designatesfthefibrous ring connecting the inner and outerV sections, it being connected to the inner section at the corners of `such section 18,Y and to the outer section midway'betweenfsuch corners. The outer section is preferably divided radially'A into segments 20 and and these segments are faced on `opposite sides thereof with friction disksor plates 22 of any suitable material. 20 alternate with the segments 21 and are secured to the-fibrous disk 19, while the segments 21, which are located at thecorners of the inner section 18 are unattachedto the fibrous ring 19.

, The segments 20` and 21 are usually arranged in 4pairs and the slot or cut which separates the ,paired sections terminates short of the inner edge of the segments 20 and 21, leaving a narrow neck 21* connects the paired sections.

The friction plates are secured to the segments in any suitable manner as by rivets extending through holesA 23 in the sections 2O and 21.y The sections '20, which are secured -to lthe fibrous disk 19, are provided with inward extensions at 24, while the segments 21, which are opposed to the cor ners of the inner section 18, are cut away or not provided with such extensions; an the extensions 24 of the segments 2(1.are secured to the fibrous ring as by fastening members or rivets 25 extending through the extensions 24, and the ring and clips or plates 26 overlying the rear face ofthe ring 19 and each having an angularl lug 27 engaging the extensions 24 are offset rearwardly out of the plane of the major parts of the segments 20. Also the portions 28 ofrthe segments 2() which portions are opposed to the margin of the ring set. The inner section 18 isV similarly secured at .its corners to the fibrous vdisk 18 by rivets 29 and platesBO. The inner section 18 is secured to a fiange 31 on the hub 6in any suitable manner as-by rivets 32.

In operation, the driving force or torque to the shaft 3 throu h the fibrous ring 19, which absor s en- The segmental flexible gine noises and vibrations.

-plate `36 by Similar fastening The segments which d 44 and 42 by periphery of the disk 19. These 19 are similarly oflconstruction of the outer section'17 contributes to the flexible action of the disk 19.

InV Figures 6 and 7 the driven element is shown as provided with a pair of flexible ldisks 33 between the hub 34 and the outer disk 35, lthe flexible disks being arranged on opposite sides of the disk 35 and on opposite sides of the disk 36, which is attached to the hub as by rivets 37. The disk 35 is lformed with a triangular opening therein and the plate 36 form and located within the triangular opening of the disk 33 yare secured angles of4 the triangular opening by fastening -ineinbers as rivets l38 and the fibre 35. The fibre disks to the disk 35 between the is triangular Vin general disks 33 lare secured to the corners of the members or rivets 39, these rivets 38, 39 being arranged in a circle concentric with the axis of the driven element or the hub 34; The plate 35 is provided with the usual friction disks 40 on opposite sides thereof.Y z

In Figures 8, 9 two flexible or fibrous disks are shown connecting the inner and outer annular parts of the drivenelement and these fibrous disks are secured to the inner and outer', parts or Hannular plates of the driven element by ,fastening members yor rngsin concentric circles instead of in the same circle.

In Figures 8, 9, 41 designates the hub of the driven element which has an annular plate or disk 42 connected thereto by rivets 43, 44,` is Vthe outer annular disk or plate' having friction disks 45 on opposite sides thereof, 46 are the fibrous or flexible ldisks between the plates 42 and 44 to transmit the torque from one to the other, these fibrous or fiexible disks 461 lapping opposite faces of the inner margin of the plate 44 and the opposite sides ofthe outer margin of the plate 42 being secured to the plates fastening members or rivets V47, 48 extending through the fibrous or flexible disks 46 and the margins of the plates 44 and 42 respectively. The fastening mem`` bers or rivets 48 are arranged in a'circle within and concentric with the circle in which the rivets 47 are located. Suitable metal annular plates .49, 50 are interposed between the'heads of the rivets 47 and the outer margins of the fibrous disks 46 and between the heads of the rivets 48 and the inner margins of the fibrous disks 46.

In Figures 10, 11 the flexible or fibrous disks are shown as carried by the driving element or the fly wheel, instead of being embodied wholly in the driven eleinent. 51 is the driving element or flywheel. 52; is the hub of the friction plate 53, rwhich hub is secured to having friction 'disks 54 thereon. flexible or fibrous torque transmitting disk, this being secured to the driving element the driven'shaft, the plate 53 I 55 is aV l or driving element 51 at spaced apart points prising and at other spaced apart points to'the disk 58 with which the driven element coacts.

The operation of the constructions shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 is the same as that shown in Figures 1, 2, the''driving force or torque being transmitted to the driven shaft through a fibrous ring orl rings which absorb engine noises and vibrations.

What I claim is:

1. In a clutch, the combination of driving and driven elements, one of which is shiftable into and out of engagement with the other, and a shaft upon which one of the elements is mounted, said shaft being alined with and having a bearing in the other element, the element mounted on the shaft cominner and outer concentrically mountedv spaced-apart sections, the outer section being spaced-apart from the shaft, and a comparatively stiff member of fibrous material between the sections, and means for securing said member to both sections.

2. In a clutch, the combination of driving and driven elementsone of said elements being provided with inner and outer concentrically-mounted, spaced-apart sections, the outer section being divided into segments, a ring of fibrous material arranged to transmit the motion from one section to the other, means connecting the segments together, means connecting some of the segments to the ring and other segments located between those so connected to the ring being unattached to the ring, and means connecting the inner section to the ring.

3. In a clutch, the combination of driving and driven elements, one ofl said elements being provided with inner and outer concentrically-mounted, spaced-apart sections, the outer section being divided into segments, a ring of fibrous material arranged toltransmit the motion from one section to the other, means connecting the segments together, means connectingV some of the segments to the ring and other segments located between those so connected to the ring being unattached to the ring, and means connecting the inner section to the ring, the connecting means being spaced-apart in a direction aroundthe axis of the clutch and the connections between the ring and the inner section alternating with those between the ring and the outer section.

4. In a clutch, the combination of driving and driven elements, one of said elements comprising inner and outer concentricallymounted, spaced-apart sections, and the outer section being divided substantially radially into segments, a friction ring secured to the faces of the segments, a fibrous ring between the inner and outer sectionsfand serving to transmit the motion from one to the other, means connecting some of the segments to the fibrous ring, other segments between those so connected to the fibrous ring, being unattached to such fibrous ring, means connecting the brous ring to the inner section, thev last mentioned connecting means alternating with the first mentioned connecting means and such connecting means being spaced-apart in a direction about the axis of the clutch.

5. In a clutch, thefcombination of driving and driven elements, one of said elements comprising an outer annular section and an inner angular section, the sections being concentrically-mounted with the inner edge of the outer sect-ion, spaced-apart from the outer edge of the inner section, the inner edge of' the outer section being angular and the corners of the inner angular section being located in and close to the inner edge of the outer section, a ringl of fibrous material connecting the sections, means connecting the fibrous ring tothe inner section at the` corners thereof and means connecting the fibrous ring and the outer section-between the former means which connect the fibrous ring to the corners of the inner section.

6. In a. clutch, the combination of driving and driven elements, one of said elements comprising an outer annular section andan inner angular section, the sections being concentrically-mounted with the inner edge of the outer section spaced-apart from the outer edge of the inner section, the outer section being divided in radial directions into segments, a ring of fibrous material connecting the sections, means connecting the fibrous ring to the inner section at thecorners thereof and means connecting the fibrous ring and outer segmental sectionbetween the former means which connect the fibrous ring to the corners of the inner section.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Syracuse, in the county ot'V (,)nondaga, and State of New York, this .12th day of July 1923. y

JOHN L. BURNS. 

